The Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute

Nielsen Lab Awarded Three Major Grants

October 17, 2017

MBI Assistant Professor Kristina Nielsen has recently received three major research awards. (1) A 5-year R01 grant from the National Eye Institute titled “Impact of visual experience on the development of the motion pathway in the ferret.” This project will use electrophysiology, two-photon imaging and behavioral experiments in ferrets of different ages to investigate the role of visual experience on the development of neural mechanisms of visual motion processing. (2) A 1-year Synergy grant from Johns Hopkins University Discovery Fund for a collaborative project with Uli Mueller of the Department of Neuroscience. Titled “Progenitor cell diversity and the evolution of the mammalian neocortex,” this project will compare the diversity of progenitor cell types in ferrets and mice to test the relationship between progenitor cell diversity and neocortical complexity. (3) A 4-year NeuroNex Technology Hub grant from NIH. Dr. Nielsen will be part of a consortium, titled “Nemonic: Next generation multiphoton neuroimaging consortium,” to develop and distribute new two-photon imaging technology for neuroscience experiments. Dr. Nielsen’s role in the consortium is to develop and test new objectives, implants and imaging modes for two-photon imaging in larger animals.